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sally_in_wales
Downsizer Moderator

Joined: 06 Mar 2005
Posts: 20809
Location: sunny wales

Posted: Mon Jan 18, 10 12:45 pm Post subject:

You've had a good enough look to rule out a small Muntjack? I know they don't really look at all similar, but once or twice I've just glimpsed one out of the corner of my eye as it raids the shrubbery and my first though was 'what a big rabbit' until I got my eyes in gear properly and realised what I was looking at. Obvious once you see the ears or lack of, but in the mists of early morning they can be funny little critters.

Nick

Joined: 02 Nov 2004
Posts: 34535
Location: Hereford

Posted: Mon Jan 18, 10 1:00 pm Post subject:

Treacodactyl wrote:

Don't think it's a Were-Rabbit, although it seems a bit mysterious.

Sorry. Slow day at the coal face.

Old-Chads-Orchard

Joined: 07 Dec 2005
Posts: 394
Location: Malpas, Cheshire

Posted: Mon Jan 18, 10 9:14 pm Post subject:
working at Holyhead port at the mo and there is a section of fenced in grass where the bunnies are getting plenty of food & not hassled/eaten & I have never seen such large rabbits in the wild, fairly tame too, then again being fenced in by chainlink nothing there can get at them

Treacodactyl
Downsizer Moderator

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 25795
Location: Jumping on the bandwagon of opportunism

Posted: Mon Jan 18, 10 9:42 pm Post subject:

I did have a good long look so definitely not a Muntjack, that's also why I don't think it's a hare as I had a good look at it running and the legs seemed too short to be one.

So, probably a bunny, just a very big one. I'm hoping he has a few ladies about the place and the breed like, erm, rabbits.

Funnily while I wouldn't say he was tame he also didn't seem that frightened of me. Don't think there's been much shooting or public access to the land though.

Bodrighy

Joined: 15 Aug 2008
Posts: 2157
Location: Near Devizes

Posted: Mon Jan 18, 10 9:45 pm Post subject:
Could it be crossed with an escaped Flemish giant or something? Just a thought as I know they get pretty huge. Pete

Calli

Joined: 13 Mar 2009
Posts: 626
Location: Galway

Posted: Mon Jan 18, 10 9:47 pm Post subject:
@offroading.net Oh I know those bunnies well lol Every time I do the ferry crossing I have very agitated salukis watching the bunnies. They are so nonchalant too

Tavascarow

Joined: 06 Aug 2006
Posts: 8407
Location: South Cornwall

Posted: Mon Jan 18, 10 9:51 pm Post subject:

Bodrighy wrote:

Could it be crossed with an escaped Flemish giant or something? Just a thought as I know they get pretty huge.

Pete

I wondered that as well, theres a road verge not far from here that you see lots of young rabbits grazing in the summer & there is always one or two dark (almost chocolate coloured) rabits amongst them & I can only assume they are from a captive wild cross.

Treacodactyl
Downsizer Moderator

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 25795
Location: Jumping on the bandwagon of opportunism

Posted: Mon Jan 18, 10 9:55 pm Post subject:

Tavascarow wrote:

Bodrighy wrote:

Could it be crossed with an escaped Flemish giant or something? Just a thought as I know they get pretty huge.

Pete

I've seen escapee domestic rabbits in built up areas (sort of a surreal Father Ted moment) and it had crossed my mind that some genes of domesticated rabbits being in the one I saw but as it was quite a remote place I think it's unlikely.

A google suggests 20 inches is the largest you get a wild rabbit. I assume that's nose to tail with it sitting still, so two foot running sounds reasonable?

jamanda
Downsizer Moderator

Joined: 22 Oct 2006
Posts: 35057
Location: Devon

Posted: Mon Jan 18, 10 10:00 pm Post subject:

Tavascarow wrote:

Bodrighy wrote:

Could it be crossed with an escaped Flemish giant or something? Just a thought as I know they get pretty huge.

Pete

You often see black ones here too. They are called melanistic, and I believe it is a fairly common mutation.
Giant ones I don't know about. Where there any Tellytubbies about?

Brownbear

Joined: 28 May 2007
Posts: 14929
Location: South West

Posted: Wed Jan 20, 10 4:46 pm Post subject:

Jamanda wrote:

Tavascarow wrote:

Bodrighy wrote:

Could it be crossed with an escaped Flemish giant or something? Just a thought as I know they get pretty huge.

Pete

You often see black ones here too. They are called melanistic, and I believe it is a fairly common mutation.

You seem to get them more when warrens are overcrowded; occasionally you get non-albino white ones too. Some people seem to believe that the overcrowding and mutations are related and to do with inbreeding, but equally likely, where there are more bunnies generally, there will be more mutant bunnies.

Tavascarow

Joined: 06 Aug 2006
Posts: 8407
Location: South Cornwall

Posted: Wed Jan 20, 10 8:34 pm Post subject:

Brownbear wrote:

Jamanda wrote:

Tavascarow wrote:

Bodrighy wrote:

Could it be crossed with an escaped Flemish giant or something? Just a thought as I know they get pretty huge.

Pete

You often see black ones here too. They are called melanistic, and I believe it is a fairly common mutation.

Also I suppose where there are a lot of rabbits the mutations have more chance of survival.
Few rabbits & they'd get picked off first, especially the white ones.
Though it's been proven that when it comes to breeding the true albinos are always at the bottom of the picking list.
It's natural to reject those that don't fit.

unlacedgecko

Joined: 21 Nov 2009
Posts: 32

Posted: Fri Feb 26, 10 9:12 am Post subject:
wouldnt be the first giant rabbit to terrorise the biritsh contryside; https://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2006/04/0411_060411_rabbit.html

Le Loup

Joined: 26 Apr 2010
Posts: 91
Location: New England Australia.

Posted: Tue Apr 27, 10 9:25 am Post subject:
Are you sure it is not a wallaby or walleroo, I hear there are a few running (hopping!) wild over there.

dpack

Joined: 02 Jul 2005
Posts: 46247
Location: yes

Posted: Tue Apr 27, 10 2:31 pm Post subject:
we often met wallabies when climbing in derbyshire years ago , more big mouse than were rabbit

Le Loup

Joined: 26 Apr 2010
Posts: 91
Location: New England Australia.

Posted: Tue Apr 27, 10 11:15 pm Post subject:

Yes, the ears don't quite have it do they!

dpack wrote:

we often met wallabies when climbing in derbyshire years ago ,
more big mouse than were rabbit

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